Historic Athens is receiving more than $530,000 from the Athens-Clarke County Commission for a new initiative as part of the organization’s commitment to reparations for urban renewal.
The nonprofit launched its Hands On Historic Athens program in 1999. It is designed to assist low-income individuals with repairing and maintaining their historic homes. The program currently provides up to $5K in assistance per homeowner for projects ranging minor repairs to significant issues including collapsing floors, roof repairs, and sewage leaks. The new funding will allow Historic Athens to take on four additional projects a year for three years, with up to $25K per address. The new program will begin in 2024.
According to a release from Historic Athens, the organization’s clients are almost exclusively senior women on fixed incomes without local families.
